Exploring the role of video and computer games as a medium for health and health care messaging

Worldwide, millions of people play and enjoy video and computer games featuring some of the most advanced graphics, sound, and artificial intelligence available on low-end hardware and computers today. As an entertainment form, in less than 30 years games have grown to almost surpass movie box office receipts, and games are one of the leading (if not the leading) reasons more and more people are watching less television. There is a powerful social shift that is positioning games as a key media form. The purpose of this project is to tap into the potential of games and discover what role this powerful new medium could have in improving health and health care. The project has three major components: community building within the gaming industry around health interests; exploring opportunities to enhance health via games; and assessing opportunities for health messages in games. The project will be considered successful if it clearly defines the potential applicability of games to improve the provision and quality of health care and public health, builds a community dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art applications of game design and game technology to improve health and health care, and assists in the creation of smart health messaging in at least one mainstream game.